


Wishin on a Star

by Nyese3529



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, TitiansAu Titans2018, Wishin on a star, d - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 23:11:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16922238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyese3529/pseuds/Nyese3529
Summary: Dick Grayson, on suspension from the Detroit police department, goes on a path of self-discovery with the help of an enigmatic roller skater named Kory Anders, who has her own past she's running from. Can they help one another figure each other out, or will they continue to wish on a star? This is a DickKory au taking place in late 1976.





	1. Don't Leave Me This Way

He hated the skating rink. It had been a while since he’d been there…a few months or so. Or the last time he’d came here looking for Rachel. The cold air got chillier as the sun went down, snow still in heaps in the parking lot. He blew out a breath seeing a small puff of steam leave his mouth. Here he was on mandatory time off and didn’t want to spend his free time walking around the teen infested place. Dick parked his car given to him by a friend of the family. It was old, and had seen its share of road, but it was his first car, and meant a lot to him.

He entered the place and instantly felt the warmth of the heat suffocate him. The energy could be absorbed through most of his senses; the music was loud, the latest hit from 1976 playing through the speakers. It smelled of pizza and popcorn, and more cologne than was necessary. Nothing more than teenage boys trying to impress their girlfriends. There wasn’t much room to walk or skate, but the crowd made it happen anyway.

A few younger girls walked around him, one whispering into the others ear. They must’ve been talking about the recent fight he’d gotten into. The fight that caused his suspension. The fight that was all in the Detroit newspapers. He didn’t care what the town or police thought. Sometimes he had to take things into his own hands, and that pedo had it coming.

Dick searched the crowd for the raven-haired teen. Her hair so black sometimes it’d take on a purple hue. She’d had to be here.

This was her go to spot when she ran away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rachel saw Dick looking for her and ducked around the game machine, hoping the guy with the green shirt shielded her from him. “What are you doing?” Gar asked.

“Hiding,” she quietly told him.

“From who?”

“It’s a cop…he works with the foster agency sometimes. They must’ve told him I ran away.”

“You ran away…why?” He wondered looking in the direction she looked. Garfield didn’t know much about her. He’d only met Rachel a couple of hours ago.

Rachel, reluctant to spill all her demons, ignored his question, peeking around the corner to see if Dick was still there. “Don’t look. He might see me.” She reeled back quickly when he turned toward them. “Shit. I think he saw me.”

“Nah.” Gar said looking to the left. “He’s walking in another direction.”

“Good,” she said staying in place. Relief started to settle over her. “I just want to hang out here for a while before I turn myself in.”

“You must run away often if you know the cop looking for you?”

“Yeah…you could say that.”

Rachel looked over Gar’s shoulder tentatively before stepping out again. He was right, she knew Dick Grayson well enough. He helped her out after her mother died. She didn’t hate him or anything…he just had a huge stick up his butt showtimes. But she knew he meant well.

At least sometimes she knew…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dick rarely came in here, but when he visited Rachel at the home, she always spoke about this place. Recently, she’d been talking about this new woman who skate on Friday nights. Rachel told him he couldn’t miss her because the woman stood 6 feet tall and had hair like a bright flame.

“ _And she’s amazing on roller skates. She’s like a dancing ballerina and everyone stops and watches her do it. It’s like she’s from another world the way she dances.” Rachel said in awe. Dick raised an eyebrow._

_No one ever impressed Rachel enough for her to go on about them. Dick noticed that she’d started dressing like the punks they picked up downtown. Lots of blacks and heavy arms boots. Rachel knew how to stand out, even if she didn’t want to._

_Dick grinned. “And she calls herself Starfire?”_

_“Yep. Wears these sunglasses shaped like two stars,” she added, smiling as she reached for the car door handle. “Thanks for picking me up.”_

_“Can you try not to get detention for at least one week?”_

_“You’re asking a lot,” she joked._

_“I’m serious, Rachel. Calm down before you speak. Not everything you think has to get said.”_

_“Sound advice coming from you.”_

_She had a point, he admitted to himself. But he had to say the right thing, no matter if he followed his own advice. “Just…just do your work and keep your cool. Okay.” Dick knew it was hard for Rachel to control her anger. He had the same problem growing up. Even now it seemed._

_She curled her lips and looked out the window. “I’ll try.”_

_“I bet it hurt saying that?” he said, picking with her._

_“You have no idea,” she muttered. “Bye…Robin.” She smirked, It was a nickname he had as a teen. It kind of stuck with the locals and Rachel found out about it. ._

_“Have a good day…Raven.” And Dick had given her one too._

_Dick made sure she went inside the group home, before he pulled off. All he wanted was the best for her.He tried to look out for Rachel as much as he could._

_Even if she was a pain in the butt._

He let go of the memory as an upbeat song played. Dick decided to walk around the place, looking for the woman they called “Starfire.” Maybe she knew where Rachel was around here.

And he found her…spinning around on her glitter pink skates, her hips swinging side to side and her arms swaying to the beat of the music. Disco music, as the teenagers from the group home called it. The corner of his mouth lifted in a little smile. “Excuse me,” he yelled over the music.

The lengthy woman, dark skinned with pink, curly hair continued to skate in a circle, slowing her pace to allow some kids past her. He tried to get her attention again, but she paid him no mind, this time rolling away.

Dick called after her. “Wait…hey!” He followed behind and through the crowd keeping up as she made her way towards the skating rink area. He could see the tiny orange shorts shift higher as she rolled away, her purple halter top, shimmering under the bright neon lights.

The girl Rachel called Starfire stopped by the partition separating the rink from the arcade areas and food areas. She began to observe the skaters, clapping her hands to the rhythm of the song as they boogied. He stared at her for a moment, taking in her loud outfit and short shorts. Her exposed back sculpted and well defined.

“Can I talk to you?” Dick asked loud enough for her to hear. The woman never acknowledge him, so he tried once more.

Dick tapped her shoulder and she turned her head slightly. “Take a number, sugar.” She whirled around and rested her arms behind her on the half wall that enclosed the wooden floor. Her breasts jiggled with the motion, the curves of them exposed along the front deep v of the halter top.

“Huh?” He asked confused. She must’ve thought he was hitting on her.

“Did you need something?” Starfire took her glasses off and stuck them in her hair. As she bent over to tie her laces, Dick noticed glitter shimmer on her skin.

“Yeah.” He said digging in his back pocket. “I was wondering if you’ve seen this girl.” He held the picture of a younger Rachel up in the air. Starfire squinted her eyes, the music drowning his words some.

“Rachel?” Starfire paused for a moment, as if piecing something together. “Ohhh. Okay. You must be…Dick.” She glanced him over. He fit the description of a guy Rachel spoke of.

“Rachel’s talked about me?”

“She does. You’re the cop, right?”

He squinted his eyes. “Yeah. Um, she talks about me with you?” he followed.

Starfire smiled, nodding her head. “She does.”

“Well… have you seen her?”

“Why? She in trouble?”

“No. Just…I’m just trying get her back home.”

Starfire looked him up and down and crossed her arms, not sure if she wanted to rat out her younger friend. “I saw her earlier today…it’s been a while though. The crowds gotten larger since, sooo….”

He nod, though he knew she was lying. “Okay. If you see her again. Tell her to get her butt back to the group home and cut it out. I’m on…vacation, and don’t want to get a call from her foster mother every day.”

“Will do…Dick,” she said putting emphasis on his name.

“Uhhh, you can call me Robin.”

She stared at him, studying his features more. He was cute and had a youthful look to him, but she could tell he was a lot older. Seemed troubled, but who wasn’t in life. “Noooo. I think I like Dick better.”

He smirked. “Clever.” He held out his hand. “And yours was…I didn’t get it.”

“I didn’t mention it.” They both smiled at one another and she gave in shaking his hand, her legs moving gently back and forth with the skates. “Kory. Kory Anders…” She took her sunglasses from her hair and put them on slowly, rolling backwards onto the floor. “But you can call me…Starfire.”

The way she spoke it was magical. Dramatic and airy. Dick had to admit she was magic. She smiled as she skated away, still staring at him.

Just then a voice over the P.A. system came through the speakers. “Moonlight skaters…you’ve seen her before. She’s been delighting you for the last month and you keep wanting more. Watch as Starfire heats up the floor dancing to the hit song _Don’t Leave Me This Way._ ”

A crowd formed in a circle, leaving just enough space for a single skater on the floor. Dick walked through the gathering spectators towards the front, trying to see what all the fuss was about. He looked around as the lights dimmed and a soft tune started…the voice of the singer as angelic and melodic as Starfire’s was when she spoke to him.

_Don’t leave me this wayyy_

_I can’t survive_

_I can’t stay alive_

_Without your loveee._

Starfires hands slid slowly up her hips, crossing over her stomach and up into the air, and she started to slowly spin, as if practicing the motion, not sure how slow she wanted to go. But she began to spin.

Suddenly, the lights brighten to a single spotlight, a cloud of curly orange hair appeared, followed by shimmering chocolate skin. The orange light bounced off the glitter she wore, making her drown in the color. Starfire started spinning faster, increasing her speed as the tempo changed. As the voice rose…

Ahh, baby! My heart is full of love and desire for you

Now com'on down and do what you gotta do

You started this fire down in my soul

Now can’t you see it’s burning outta control

Com'on, satisfy the need in me

‘Cause only your good lovin’ can set me free

(set me free, set me free)

And then she started to skate, but not just skate. She danced. She grooved. She’d glide and floated across the floor. Smooth strides followed by expert leg lifts, some twirls. She’d speed past an observer and reach out for them, teasing them into an embrace just to leave them wanting her more.

_Don’t leave me this way, no_

_I can’t survive, I can’t stay alive without your love_

_Baby, don’t leave me this way_

And this was her stage…her arena and all eyes clamored to be fixated on her. Her long arms rose in the air as she took control of the floor, only moving as fast as the tempo of the song. She swelled with the crescendos and spun around at the climax, braking with the staccatos and spinning, spinning, spinning. She made love to the singer’s melody and the countermelodies. Starfire spun around so fast that it seemed like a glowing orange cloud appeared behind her…circling her… covering her. Purples and pinks and oranges shimmering around and she glowed, she floated on a cloud as if she was a star on fire on a cold, November night.

And he grew fascinated at her control, at the ease in which she skated. At her grace and delicacy. At the alluring mystical energy that seemed to surround her. When her eyes fixated on Dick, he grew uneasy, looking around to see if it was really him in her gaze. She floated backwards, her arms moving as if she was summoning that mystic force on him. He tried to look away from her, but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

_Satisfy the need in me_

_Satisfy the need in me_

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” A voice said knocking him out of his trance. He looked down to his right to see Rachel standing there. “She’s amazing, right?”

Dick turned to her. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“I know. I saw you when you walked in fifteen minutes ago.”

The song neared the end and Starfire began to slow down on her skates. The crowd already cheering for her performance. Dick looked to see where she was, but the crowd engulfed her. “You are a lot more trouble than I bargained for. Come on. Let me get you back home.”

“Did you meet Starfire? I’m not really into Disco music but she makes me like it.” Rachel had such a hard exterior from her past, that he forgot she was just a kid who liked being a kid. Who like to hang out and do normal kid things. No matter how difficult stuff got with her.

“I met her,” he said quickly. They stood in place.

“And?”

“She’s…” He searched for the right word. “Eccentric.” Just as he said that, Starfire made her way over to them.

“Rachel. I see Dick found you.” She said out of breath. Starfire didn’t look at him when she made the comment, but he looked at her.

She laughed. “Yeah. He did. You were great…like always. Are you skating again next Friday?”

“Sure thing, honey. I’ll be here…like always.” Rachel grinned, and Starfire gave her a hug.

“You were pretty good out there.” Dick said offering a compliment to Kory.

She breathed slower, chuckling a bit and tossed her hair back. “Just pretty good?”

“In the words of Rachel here, you’re pretty amazing.” He admitted.

“That’s better. Well…” Kory looked at her arms. “It’s gonna be all night getting this glitter off me. It’s just gonna be everywhere.”

Dick attempted not to think about the places, all the places, the glitter would be stuck to. “Nice meeting you, Kory. ”

“You too, Dick. Hopefully we’ll run into each other again.”

“Yeah, hopefully.” He couldn’t stop looking at her, even when he tried.

Kory smiled and hugged Rachel again. “Stay out of trouble kid. No more detention. Hold that anger in. It’s not all that bad.”

“Okay.” Rachel simply said. Dick looked perplexed. He told Rachel that same thing not too long ago and she gave him such hell.

“Here’s the keys to the car. Go start it to get it warm up.” Dick gave his keys to Rachel who walked around a group of kids to get to the exit.

Just as Starfire was about to roll away Dick asked, “So, she talks to you? Like, confides in you?”

Kory nodded. “We’ve established this already?”

“Why?”

Kory smiled and skated closer to Dick, looked him right in the eye. They were mere centimeters apart. “Sometimes… the dark needs a little light to brighten its path.”

He grinned as they stared at one another. “And you’re the light?” he asked. She took off her glasses, her hazel green eyes drawing him in.

“They don’t call me Starfire for nothing, sugar.” She skated backwards again until she was on the shiny hardwood floor, mixing in with the crowd as the music played. Dick watched her until the auburn hair disappeared into a sea of skaters.

Watching her until the light went away


	2. Kissed by Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick decides to head to the diner after being stuk in the house.

“How long do I have before a review?…Six more days…? It’s been two weeks…A vacation…?” Dick laughed mockingly while listening to his union rep on the other end. “Sitting on my ass not doing anything is not my idea of a vacation.” Dick held the receiver and gave a nod. “Yeah…yeah I hear you. Right…Just wait it out and do something. Yep. Got it.”  Dick slammed the phone onto the receiver pissed about this whole situation and accidentally hit his hand too hard with the downward motion, wincing at the pain.

“Something productive…like…?” he said to himself as he shook his throbbing hand. Dick had nothing important to do. After being suspended, he spent most of his time in his apartment watching the local news or searching for Raven when she ran away. The city of Detroit was no stranger to crime and he had this urge to still be out there, ridding it of as much shit as he could.

And all the while, in random moments of the day, he found himself thinking about…her. About Kori Anders, or Starfire, or whoever it was she called herself. It nagged at him that he thought of her so much. During these past four days, images of her on the dance floor plague him like the flu; he couldn’t shake the thought of her, no matter the remedy.

“I got to get out of this place. I’m starting to go up the walls.” He put on his boots, the thick rubber soles still caked with a bit of snow from going to get his mail before he made the call; a tiny puddle of the melted snow sat right on the floor. He threw on a coat and popped his collar so that the bitter wind wouldn’t hit his neck.

Dick couldn’t sit in his apartment any longer. Thoughts of the woman from the skate rink couldn’t cure the boredom he had of being in here all day. A little burger joint sat just up the road and he decided he’d take a drive and get a bite to eat to keep whatever sanity he had left and get that woman off his mind.

Well, try to at least.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He sat in some little corner of her mind…the guy who watched her skate last Friday.  _Dick Grayson_. He stuck out like a sore thumb, a brooding dark-haired man with slumped shoulders, he carried all of the world and its problems on his back and it wore him down. If Kori had a knack for things, it was figuring out someone.

The man who introduced himself as Dick lived up to Rachel’s description and more. All the more reason why she shouldn’t have any thought centered on him… she couldn’t involve herself with some cop.

But she couldn’t stop the flashes of memory of him from forming.

Kori sat at the dinner booth with Rachel, who though quite young, she still connected with somehow. The teen called her earlier to come eat lunch at this little diner and she thought it would be nice to get out of that dank motel room.

“What’s been going on Rachel?” Kori, although happy to come, had no appetite and just watched Rachel devour her pizza.

“Not much. Just wanted to get out. I let my foster mom know I was coming here. She said she’d pick me up at 3.” Rachel began attempting to listen to Kori and Dick’s advice a little now. Especially Kori’s because she just thought she was so cool. She didn’t ever judge her. Never talked down to her or made her feel like she was just a kid.

“That’s good. She shouldn’t worry about you.” Kori grabbed her purse and dug around in it until she found her compact mirror and lipstick.

Rachel grabbed a napkin from the holder to wipe her hands. “You like a lot of makeup?”

Kori smiled as she smoothed the dark, wine-stained shade of lipstick over her lips. “I do. Why do you ask? Does the sparkle orange eyeshadow or purple nails give me away?” Her tone held slight inflections of amusement.

Rachel tilted her head down and laughed, still a bit shy around her. “Yeah…maybe.”

Kori put the makeup away and tucked her purse beside her, ready to give an answer.. “I like to stand out. Not many girls look like I do. Everyone wants to look the same and here I am… hair kissed by fire…orange eyeshadow…fluffy brown, fur coat. This is who I am.” Kori held up her arms as if displaying herself, a giggle of happy laughter escaping her.

Rachel smiled, but her face held some thought as she looked down at the crust of her pizza. Kori, having this uncanny knack of sensing turmoil, could tell something was wrong with her.

“You know, Rachel…” Kori touched her hand and caught Rachel’s full attention as she pointed a finger at herself. “…this is who  _I_ am. It’s not who  _you_ need to be. You’re a beautiful girl. You’ll figure out who you are and what makes you happy soon.”

“You think so?”

“Sugar, I know it. I know who I am for the moment, but that’s always changing. I didn’t know at sixteen. I thought I knew, but I was so wrong. This is the woman I think I am now, but that could change.” She grabbed Rachel’s tiny hand. “You got time, sweetie, and time has got you.” Kori affirmed squeezing her hand.

Rachel smiled. “Thanks, Kori.” A song played in the background, something lively from the sixties and Kori started to dance in her seat.

“You’re more than welcome. Can’t jive if we feeling down. Come on, Rachel. Boogie with me.” She grabbed her hand again, trying to get her to join her in a simple dance, but Rachel sheepishly grinned, shaking her head.

Just then the door dinged and in walked the cop from the other night. He looked like he’d been through hell. Kori smiled, waving at Dick when he turned to their booths, which made Rachael look in that direction.

“Dick?” Rachel said as he walked towards them. He noticed the woman that called herself Starfire sitting across from Rachel, her body moving in time to the rhythm of the song.

“Rachel andddd…” He stared at Kori, pointing to her. “….Starfire…right?”

“The one and only. You got it, sugar.” They shared an awkward exchange of looks between them, Kori breaking it by moving her purse. “You, uhh, you want to sit with us?”

He looked at Rachel’s plate, now empty and noticed Kori only with coffee and water. “Looks like you two are just finishing up.” He stuck his hands in his pockets as Kori shook her head.

“Were just talking. You can sit if you want,” she offered once more. Dick thought a moment, then decided to join them, taking his coat off draping it across the back of the bench before he sat down.

“Does your mom-”  he started to ask, but Rachel interrupted him.

“Yeah, she knows I’m here.”

“Good.” He was shocked she wasn’t on the run like usual.

“You’re still suspended, I see?” Rachel said quickly, taking a drink of her soda pop.

“You still say whatever you want, huh?” He countered.

“You’re suspended. For what?” Kori quickly interjected.

“Long story.” Dick glanced at her. He could see her features better in the light of day. Her high cheekbones…the green eyes…her soft, pretty lips. He shook away the direction his thoughts were heading.

 _Did he know why he thought about her…constantly?_ Ever since the skating rink, she’d been on his mind.

“I got time…tell me about it.” Kori said turning towards him.

Dick wasn’t inclined to fill her in on the details. “It’s not a big deal,” he said trying to shrug it off.”

“Oh, it’s a big deal.” Rachel slurped the rest of her shake. “He beat up the guy who assaulted Sheila Evans from my high school. Almost killed him.”

“I didn’t kill him.” Dick countered, though he wished he had. That’s what scared him the most about the entire situation. Just how close he’d come to taking another’s life…putting justice into his own hands.  

“That’s why I said  _almost_. It was all in the papers.” She continued slurping her nearly gone milkshake which made both Dick and Kori stare at her. Rachel stopped slurping and sat up. “In my opinion, he’s a hero. Sheila wouldn’t leave her house afterwards. Too scared to walk alone to school. Now she does since he’s locked up.” A distant look came over Rachel and she turned towards the glass windows, staring at the cars in the parking lot. “Y’know…sometimes I wish I had powers. All this dark energy inside me could kill all the abusers and dickheads in the world.”

Dick knew Rachel’s demons. They seemed to follow her everywhere. His followed him like a cape on his back. “I don’t like what I did…” Dick forced himself to say.“…I’ve been put on suspension for it.”

“No one’s mad. Nobody cares. If the cops didn’t get him, some vigilante would have.”

“That’s not any better. We shouldn’t put the law into our own hands. There is a system-“

“The system’s screwed.” Rachel stood, crossing her arms and sitting back. “The way I see it, we should take more things into our hands. The system doesn’t work.” She pointed to the restrooms. “I’ll be back.”

Kori sat quietly during the exchange, taking everything in. They were similar…Rachel and Dick. Two damaged souls, lost to this world, trying to find a way.

_Did they both realize how lost she was?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rachel laughed until her sides hurt. “You did  _what_  Kori?”

“This guy was trying to steal money from me and I found out. I put all of his clothes in a pile and lit them on fire.”

“I can’t believe you did that…wow, you’re such a badass.” Rachel said impressed. She looked outside and noticed a van pulling up. “Awww mannn. My foster mom’s outside.” Rachel pouted, twisting her lips. “I wanted to hear more about your life.”

“You of all people don’t need to hear more.” Dick assured her.

“This coming from you?” Rachel quipped.

“Yeah…yeah. Get your coat on and go,” he said with a grin.

Rachel got up and threw on her oversized black jacket. “Will you be at the skate rink this Friday?” she asked Kori.

“You know it, sugar.” Kori nodded with a bright smile. “See you there if you come.”

Rachel grinned and nodded. “Okay. Cool. Bye, Kori. See you later,  _Robin_ ,” she said.

“Later,  _Raven_ ,” he replied,  Rachel waved goodbye before exiting the diner. Dick sat back as Kori stretched. He noticed her breast rise with the motion, the tight purple dress showcasing the subtle curves of her chest.

“That’s so cute.” She put her arms down and faced Dick. “You call each other by nicknames.”

“Yeah….yeah,” he said trying to brush off her observation. Kori smiled when she noticed him bashfully blush.

“No…no, it’s a good thing. You and Rachel’s  relationship. You’re like an older brother. She needs that.”

Dick shrugged his shoulders. “She’s had a rough life.” He blew out a small breath and fidgeted with his crumpled napkin. “She’s taken you in, I see.”

“Rachel’s a good kid. She’s got a good heart. She’s smart and full of wonder. A darkness covers her soul, but whose isn’t a black cloud around that age. Reminds me of myself at 14.”

 _Impossible_. He could picture her as anything but happy and energetic. Kori was like fire to him. Bright and encompassing. She had a way of taking over whatever room she was in and setting it ablaze with warmth and laughter, especially since it was as cold as it’s been.

Dick grinned, thinking about her story she told them just a few minutes ago. “That’s illegal you know? Setting someone’s clothes on fire.” He ate the last of his fries and took a sip of water.

“What…?” She coyly put her hands up. “…you want to arrest me… _Detective_?” Kori imitated a sexy screen siren, her green eyes sparkling with her smile as she put her hands in the customary position for apprehending someone. Dick couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m a civilian at the moment,” he wiped his hands with his napkin, his eyes never leaving hers.  _God, she was pretty…_ and mysterious all at the same time.

“Doesn’t mean you can’t arrest me”, she insisted, holding her wrists up closer towards him. Dick shook his head, slightly amused…slightly turned on. Slightly…curious.

“No need for that,” he told her.

“You sure?” she poked, her smile stretching wide.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Kori put her hand down, grabbing her purse. “Well, okay then. I guess I should settle my bill and head out.”

Dick motioned for the waitress. “Don’t worry. I got it.” He reached for his wallet when she arrived.

“Umm. Thank you, but you don’t have-“ She moved some of her hair out of her face, deciding not to argue. “That…that’s nice of you.”

“It’s no problem. You kept me company while I ate.”

And he found himself staring at her often throughout his meal. The entire time he was there he caught quick glances and she gave him little smiles.  _Her laugh._  Silky and light. It stood out. Well, she stood out with that hair color and the flashy outfit, but in other ways too. He couldn’t figure it out, but it bothered him. Bothered Dick more than it should that he found Kori so…alluring.  

Kori grinned. “Well…I’ll tip her at least.” She tried to pull out her money again, but he stopped her.

“I got that, too.” He stood and put on his coat as she scooted out of the booth.

“Thanks again, Dick,” she said as she put on her fur coat, a chevron pattern alternating between black and brown colors. “I’ll see you around.”

Dick stuck his hands in his coat pocket and decided to chance looking her in her eyes once more.  _Why did he do that?_ “Yeah, I’ll see you around.”

They shared those looks again…those fire-fueled glances that made his heart thump. Kori waved goodbye before walking off and he couldn’t help but follow her, the door dinging again after his exit.

Dick noticed her about to walk towards the bus stop and he called out after her. “Hey! You want a ride.” It was the least he could do. More snow was expected in an hour or so, the clouds becoming an ominous grey with pinks and orange rays of sun trying to peek through unsuccessfully. He couldn’t have her stuck waiting for a bus.  

“I’m fine,” she yelled back. Kori continued to walk, her thigh-high patent leather boots clacking against the ground. Dick started a slight jog, trying to catch up with her.

“You’re not cold?” His eyes travelled her body as he took in her ensemble as they walked quickly; a tight purple dress, clinging to her like a second skin, her nipples poking through the fabric from the freezing cold temperature. The fur coat; the fine ends of the hair blowing along with the wind, but she didn’t appear cold…not in the least.

Kori stopped, amazed he was still there, and smiled as she turned to face him. “I don’t get cold…in fact…” Kori took a few steps towards Dick, pushing the flaps of the coat back like a seductive superhero. He saw more of her curves and told himself to look up towards the graying sky. “…I’ve been known to keep things…hot.” Dick looked at her and Kori smiled and for some reason he wanted to as well. He did.

 _What was it about her? Why couldn’t he stop looking at her?…Stop thinking about her even when she stood inches away? “_ You need a ride somewhere?” he asked again.

She held up her hand in silent agreement, a giggle escaping her.  “If you insist on offering. Sure, I’ll catch a ride.”

Dick felt some relief, but not sure why. Maybe the cop in him felt some need to get her home safe? “Okay. Good. My car is over there.” He pointed towards a small grey vehicle, the shape not like the boxy Cadillac’s.

Kori smirked. “You have a  _Porsche_? What kind of cop can afford a  _Porsche_?” she asked as he walked them to it.

Dick chuckled, opening the passenger door for her. “A friend of the family gave it to me.” He could tell she didn’t believe him, her eyes giving it away as they closed to a disbelieving sliver.  

“A friend?”

“A…wealthy friend…”

“And he just gives out  _Porsche’s_  to his friends?”

“Uh. Something like that.”

“I need a  _friend_  like that.” She smiled and slid into the car, reaching over to unlock his side for him.

Dick got in and turned to her. “No, you don’t need a friend like him. It came at a cost…Where do you stay?” He said immediately changing the subject.

 _At what cost_ , she wondered before answering. “This little efficiency not too far up the road.”

“That sketchy motel off the highway?”

“That’s the one.”

“Okay.” Dick started the car, putting it in reverse.

Kori leaned forward slightly, turning the dials on the radio until she found something she could groove to. She saw Dick stare out the front window, lost in his thoughts.  _Quiet_. He was definitely that. And mysterious. And that same darkness clouded him like the greying skies above them now. Like it did with Rachel. Like it had with her.

And she found herself wanting to know more about him. To figure him out so that he seemed to be less of those things. Less of a mystery. Less of a stranger.  _But why?_  She just met him days ago. Did he know that she thought about him? Thought about his dark brown eyes, still youthful and soft, but held a world of pain behind them.

She reached for her star-framed glasses and put them on, settling into her seat. The music played, and she left that little car and wandered in her thoughts to another place…

…but still wondered why he stayed on her mind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“You’re quiet.” Kori said changing the station to the radio again. He smirked and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“I’m not really used to talking to people.” Dick watched the road more intently as soft, flakes of snow started to fall against the windshield.

“Why?” Kori asked.

“I’m not sure. Just always been on my own. I like the silence, I guess. You get to be less of a talker when you don’t have many people to talk to. That sounds bad, right?” He stole a quick glance at her before turning his attention back to the road.

“Not really. You just seem like you got a lot of secrets…I can tell.”

“You seem to be…very perceptive.”

“You think so, huh?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“Maybe you’re right.” She grinned.

He could hear the happiness in her voice and smiled with her, even when he had no reason at all. That baffled him to no end. “You know. You’re not this open book yourself. Tell me about yourself.”

Kori couldn’t tell him much, so she lied. “Honestly. I don’t have many secrets. I’m just trying to find out who I am. It’s like I know but I really don’t know and that scares me. I was just talking to Rachel about this. Well…I was lying and saying I had it all together kind of…I mean…”

Kori continued and he listened. For the first time, he felt like someone said how he felt. They were lost and confused, and it didn’t make sense. None of it.

He was lost. Dick had been lost for years and still couldn’t discover who he was. Couldn’t track down what made him be this person he never wanted to be. This fighter…someone both consumed and terrified by their anger and taking it out on others.

 _Was he this image of his past, or this man he had to become?_ “I guess it’s the same for me. I’m just trying to figure it all out for myself, too.”

“Well…” she sighed, giving him a hopeful shrug. “Maybe one day we’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. Somehow she brought light into the darkness that filled his heart. In the simplicity of her words…in the easiness of how she carried herself.  _Carefree_.  _Hopeful_. He wished he had that way about him right now.

“Maybe you’re right.” He grew concerned as he pulled up to the motel and put his car in brake, the engine still running. Dick noticed a bunch of men standing outside of the door at the shady looking place and didn’t want anyone to bother her. “You can get to your room okay?”

Kori blushed, the biggest grin taking over her features. “You want to escort me to my door, detective?”

“Just trying to keep you safe.” Dick quickly said.

Kori turned the radio down. “Are you now? Thought you were a civilian.”

“Swore an oath to protect and serve the citizens of Detroit.”

“Well, I can’t have you breaking your oaths now, can I?” She grabbed her purse, securing the strap on her shoulder. “Well…come on,” she said when he didn’t stop the running car.

He turned the engine off and got out, getting to her side just as she closed her door. “Where’d you learn to skate like that?” He asked as they walked towards her room.

“My mother taught me. She’s pretty good herself.”

“You’re really good. It was like watching magic when I saw you. Almost didn’t feel real, like I was in another world.”

Kori laughed. “My mother used to say I’m not from this planet. I’m tall and like the brightest colors. She said I made up my own language.” Laughing, Kori shook her head. “She’s never met anyone like me before.”

Dick agreed with her mom. He’d never met anyone quite like her. “You’re amazing…you know you’re show. I used to be in a circus act when I was a kid.”

Surprised he gave any details about his life, he decided to reel it in with his openness, but realized she was listening intently. “That so? Where?” Kori glanced at him as her hand searched through her purse for the key.

“With my parents before they…” He couldn’t say it…even after all these years.

“Before they what?” She repeated hoping for the rest of the statement.

“Um…” But he couldn’t share those details with her. He couldn’t bring up all that pain again. “…It’s not a big deal.”

“See…you got secrets.” Kori opened her door and right before she walked inside he stopped her.

“Hold on?”

She shook her head. “What? You want to check each of the corners for creeps?” She looked around the neatly cleaned room…nothing seemed out of the norm.

“I should right?”

Kori giggled shaking her head. “You’re thorough. I’ll give you that, but I think the rooms safe.”

He smirked at her. “Let me just check it out…to be on the safe side.”

Kori put one hand on her hip, cocking one leg to the side and held her hand out. “Whatever you want, Detective?” Kori opened the door wider and he stepped by her, his smile never disappearing.

He inspected the room and noticed she didn’t have much. A queen-sized bed with flowery burnt orange blankets covering it. The carpet was of the same color, but shag. He never understood what the big deal about shag was.  Everyone he knew had it or wanted it.

A few bags from department stores sat in the desk chair. A bottle of tequila rested on the desk along with a record player. He circulated the room, and saw a dresser with a mirror, and noticed her skates at the bottom of the closet along with a few variations of purple outfits hanging in there. In the bathroom, all her makeup and a few bottles of purple, pink, and orange glitter lay scattered around the edge of the sink.

“Everything looks good.” He walked towards the door and she clapped.

She blew out a huge breath. “That’s  _such_  a relief. I’ll sleep better knowing that you secured the place for me.”

He hinted at her sarcasm and offered her a grin. “Yeah, well…you take it easy, Miss Anders.” Dick walked to the door to open it and stood on the opposite side of the entrance, facing her. 

“Okay…detective. I guess I’ll see you around. I should hire you as a body guard.” She laughed, and he hated that he wanted to join her. The snow fell harder and he blew out a puff of warm air. He stuck his hands back in his pockets, taking her in one last time before he said goodbye once again. 

“Maybe, Kori.” He ended up walking off and though she wasn’t scared of much, it had frightened Kori that she didn’t want him to leave. Before she could close the door Kori stuck her head out the entryway. “Hey, Dick! 

He turned around. “Yeah.” The wind blew at a few strands of hair.  

“You want to…uh…have a drink with me?” Dick turned his head and she immediately started to take back her question. It was silly to ask now that she thought about it. “Ummm. Never mind I’m…”

“Yeah.” He smiled at her. 

His quick response surprised her. “You, sure?”

“I guess I could have a glass. I have no job to go to.” He started back towards the room and stepped past her.

Kori shut the door and walked over to the record player. She lifted an album, pulling the record out of it. “Do you like your job…you enjoy being a detective?” She placed the record on the player, expertly putting the needle into the groove. 

Small talk. She was great at it…Dick not so much.“Yeah. It’s alright.” He stepped further into the room, not sure if he should sit or stand. Dick decided he’d lean against the dresser with the large mirror.

“What exactly about being a cop attracts you to the profession? Like, what made you wake up one day and decide ‘this is it, I wanna fight bad guys for a living?” Kori asked as she played with this long gold ring on her finger.

“Uhhhhh.” He thought for a moment, sure of the exact moment he knew this would be his life’s passion, but unsure again if he wanted to share those details with her. He’d already said too much about his parents. “You ask a lot of questions?”

Kori walked towards her desk where the bottle of tequila and four glasses sat. She slipped her fur coat off, the soft musculature of her back on display as it fell further down. He saw the roundness of her ass and legs that seemed as if they went on for days on end. Her curly magenta hair brushed the top of her shoulders as she looked back at him, tossing her coat on the desk.  _Did she know she was perfect?_

“And you like to avoid questions I see. You seem to like to be in control of the conversation, yet you’re quiet…interesting.” She smiled over her shoulder, her orange eyeshadow glistening in the bronze ambiance from the hotel light.

“I like my job. I’m good at it. And I’m good at getting the answers I want.”

She set aside two glasses and began to pour Tequila  into one cup, then another. Dancing, she spun around as if on skates and made her way to him. “And yet that  _still_ only somewhat answers my question.” Kori danced in place, extending his cup of Tequila out to him.

Dick took the clear liquid from her and downed it quickly, the bitter sting of its afterbite not affecting him. She followed suit, taking her shot with a swiftness, but shivering from the taste.

Dick didn’t know why…maybe it was the shot of liquor, maybe it was the music that she always had to have on…like the soundtrack to her life…playing melodies and harmonies the way they did? Maybe it was the heat of the room, against the cold they just escaped from, but their eyes locked? He  couldn’t look away even if it meant his life. Her lips parted, shiny and plump, and he wondered what they tasted like. He wouldn’t blame the shot of liquor for the thought.

Kori started to walk off to refill her cup, but felt a gentle grab of her arm as he took the glass from her. He’d wanted to, probably since the first night, to touch her hair; it looked soft. And when he grabbed a few strands of her tips he realized just how soft they were. Dick pulled her closer by her waist and continued to touch, his fingertips grazing her cheeks, the pad of his thumb skimmed lightly over her lips.

And she looked at him, too…gazed right into those deep brown eyes and searched because she questioned if he knew…knew that she wanted this too…whatever was about to happen. Her breathing quickened from his sensual caress and she wondered what else he could do tomake her lose her breath.

Kori watched as he took off his coat. “You don’t want another drink?”

“No,” he simply said, which made her swallow hard, her breath catching in her throat. 

“Okay… well-“

He interrupted her by grabbing her waist, strong hands catching her off guard. She willed her eyes to stay open.  _How long had it been since another man touched her? Months maybe?_  Definitely months.

Dick stepped forward, his lips nearly brushing hers, and she tried to kiss his lips, but he’d evade her. He brushed his cheek on hers, then his lips, finally deciding he needed to look in her green eyes once more. That’s when he pulled her closer to kiss.

 _Control_. He needed it. He needed order and substance in everything. He needed to have a reason to control things because ironically he felt out of control.

But he’d met his match with Kori, because she needed control just as much. Her arms lifted and her fingers, delicate but firm, grabbed handfuls of his hair. Thoughts travelled her mind at a lightning speed.  _How was he doing this? Making her speechless? Keeping her breathless?_

The room grew warmer; his lips felt warm in hers and she welcomed it, glad someone else was heating her up on this cold night. He sucked her bottom lip for mere seconds, moving on to the top and she lightly ran her fingers down the back of his neck, the sensation making Dick grab her hips tighter.

He turned them around and pressed her against the desk, his hand going to the side of her thigh. Kori tilted her head back while he moved his hand between her legs, moving his lips away from hers so he could look her in the eyes.

And their lips parted at the same time when he slid his hand higher, finding her wet down there already. She willed her eyes to stay open as he played with her clit, her breath heavier, escaping from her mouth little by little in huffs.

She lifted his shirt to help him take it off, surprised to find such well-defined abs. Her hand rolled over the soft rises and dips and travelled lower…and lower, her slender fingers dragging along the top of his jeans. Kori unbuttoned them and pulled the zipper down. His pants fell to the floor and she stuck her hand into his boxers.

“Mmm. I see why they call you, Dick,” Kori rasped as she held onto his cock, stroking it just right.

They both shared a little smile. “Clever,” he said, his voice deep and breathy. He took in a swift breath and blew it out as she massaged him. His stared at her, his eyes grew lustful and he crushed his mouth against hers, desperate to have all of her.

She let go of her grasp on him, nearly protesting when she felt his hand slip from between her legs, but surprise overtook Kori as he lifted her up and held her tight before making his way to the bed. He kicked his shoes off then the pants somehow before they both fell onto the bed in a rush.

He pinned her wrists down and hovered mere inches over her, dipping his head lower to kiss the side of her neck. “Mmmm,” she moaned as he kissed her collarbone, her chest, the swell of her breasts. His lips dragged along the thin fabric of her dress and her kissed the top of her thighs, stopping only to undress her, her boots proving too difficult to remove.

“I can’t get them off,” he said as he covered her again and she giggled.

“I want them on.” She sat up a little and turned onto her stomach.

“Unzip me, please?” unzipping her dress and moved the straps to her dress down, revealing just her bra and that gold and green necklace against supple skin. She turned back around and dragged the hem of her dress upwards, her long legs appearing even longer, her lace panties now exposed.   

Dick grinned, pulling his boxers further down and settled between Kori’s legs, spreading them wider,moving her panties to the side. She didn’t have enough liquor for the room to spin like this, for the music and the heat to drown her senses as he moved his hard dick over her slippery entrance.

Kori stared into his dark eyes as he slowly pushed her, both of them moaning from the feel of him entering inside her. She stuck her fingernails into his back, digging harder and harder. “Mmmmm,” she moaned as he went deep…then deeper.

She was fire, he concluded. Bright…encompassing…hotter than he could control. She created this haze of smoke and he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t see anything but this fire. Dick kissed her, and he knew it…he knew he’d been kissed by fire. _By beauty. By danger_. He knew she was danger because he’d never felt like this before.  _Never_.

His fingers twisted through her curly, magenta hair and he looked into her green eyes. Somehow, that was the only way they spoke to each other. It scared him, this connection. This intense, quick connection he made with this woman they called Starfire.

Their grunts and moans mixed with the song that now repeated for the third time, their mouths still caught up in a kiss. Time slowed and then speed up. Her loud sounds of rapture filled the space and he was lost completely, more than he’d ever been.  _Who was this woman who came so quickly into his life…who made this cold night heat up with an intensity that frightened him?_

She stroked his back, the tips of her fingers like lightning there. His name and other whisperings left her lips and he had to kiss her again. To look at her like he had all day.

 And he knew. He knew she was almost there when her legs wrapped around his waist and squeezed him tighter. He knew when her hand found his hair and pulled on the silky strands, not caring how hard she pulled. He knew when she shook and screamed his name, that pleasure had found her.

 _“Ohhh. Dick. Ohhh. Ohhh,_ ” she softly rasped in his ear. It was all too much. Just so much and he found himself wanting to join her, pulling his throbbing dick out right before he couldn’t control himself any longer. His arms trembled and he bent his head low as the room spun around him…the heat still there. That song played in the background, the melody shining through. Her sweet breathing and his heartbeat and the music. 

It was all he could hear for moments on end. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They lay there, sweat covering them like a second skin. Dick was the first to speak. “That was-”

“Intense…” she finished for him, gasping for air still. Dick agreed, nodding as he tried to find air too. They both lay on their backs now, Dick’s boxers around his ankles and Kori still had on her boots, her dress scrunched around her waist.

“You okay?” he asked her. Kori looked in his direction.

She wasn’t okay. Her body tingled everywhere; her skin was on fire. Her heart wouldn’t slow down.  _Could she even breathe? Could she answer him?_

“Yeah. You?” she shakily asked. He nodded but…

He wasn’t okay. Of course, they just had sex. Mind-blowing, leaving you shaking for minutes afterwards kind of sex. But he felt…different.

“I’m…I’m great.” He smiled while looking at the ceiling. He noticed it happened easily with her…smiling.

“Good.” Kori looked away from him and up at the ceiling as well.

She slept with a cop. A sexy, brooding, understanding cop, but a cop nonetheless and she was making more trouble for herself than she needed. Kori ran away from her problems. She was running away now, so this could only be a one-time deal. She couldn’t let anyone else in, especially a cop.

She felt Dick reach out, searching for her hand and squeezing it when he found it. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and she closed her eyes, just listening to the music. Kori had no clue at how successful she’d be at keeping him away.  None at all.


End file.
